Water conditioner



Aug. 4, 1970 J. w. DYKES 3,522,882

WATER CONDITIONER Filed Dec, 17, 1968 Jess W. Dyke's ZNVENTOR.

BY W mm United States Patent 015cc 3,522,882 WATER CONDITIONER Jess W. Dykes, Rte. 3, Box 617-A, Pascagoula, Miss. 39567 Filed Dec. 17, 1968, Ser. No. 784,371 Int. Cl. B01d 25/06, 25 08, 39/ )6 US. Cl. 210-198 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The water conditioner comprises an elongated tubular assemblage which may be interposed in a waterline and which includes a compartment therein including a screened inlet and a screened outlet in which a phosphate glass, slowly soluble in water may be contained for treating the water flowing through the conditioner to inhibit scale, corrosion and red water in the water system downstream from the conditioner.

The various components which make up the conditioner are readily available at a minimum of cost and may be readily assembled and interposed in a waterline. Further, the conditioner is constructed in a manner whereby it may be readily recharged with Micromet whenever recharging becomes necessary.

The main object of this invention is to provide a means whereby a water conditioning system may be readily added to or incorporated in the assemblage of household water systems in localities where scale, corrosion and red water are inherent problems.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a water conditioner which may be readily fabricated from inexpensive components which are commercially available.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a conditioner which may be readily recharged when recharging becomes necessary.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a water conditioner which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to install so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in installation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the water conditioner interposed in a conventional waterline;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken sub- 3,522,882 Patented Aug. 4, 1970 stantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 44 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the water conditioner.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the water conditioner of the instant invention which is illustrated in FIG. 1 interposed in a conventional household waterline 12 including two axially spaced and aligned sections 14 and 16.

The sections 14 and 16 include externally threaded adjacent ends 14 and 16' which may be provided during the construction of the waterline 12. However, if the waterline 12 comprises an existing line, the spacing between the adjacent ends 14 and 16' must be formed by the removal of that portion of the original line extending between the ends 14' and 16, after which the ends may be externally threaded in a conventional manner. Also, it is, of course, proposed that the sections .14 and 16 may be connected to the remainder of the waterline by means of suitable unions (not shown) in order to facilitate removal of the cleaner 10 after it has once been installed.

The cleaner 10 includes a pair of opposite end and reversed reducer fittings 18 and 20 which are internally threaded at their opposite ends and a center tubular pipe or body 22 which is externally threaded on its opposite ends as at 24 and 26. The diametrically reduced ends of the reducer fittings 18 and 20 are threadedly engaged on the adjacent ends 14' and 16' and the diametrically enlarged ends of the reducer fittings 18 and 20 are threadedly engaged on the opposite ends of the pipe or body 22.

The diametrically enlarged ends of the reducer fittings 18 and 20 include annular shoulders 28 and circumferentially extending and inwardly opening grooves 30 are defined between the shoulders 28 and the adjacent end faces of the pipe or body 22.

A pair of circular plates constructed of aluminum are generally designated by the reference numerals 32 and a pair of circular screen disks are designated by the reference numerals 34. The disks 32 are centrally apertured as at 36 and provided with a purality of random spaced small apertures 38 disposed about the center apertures 36 and spaced inwardly from the outer peripheries of the disks 32. Further, each of the disks 32 includes four circumferentially spaced larger apertures 40. The screen disks 34 are centrally apertured as at 42 and include circumferentially spaced smaller apertures 44 corresponding to the apertures 40 and registerable therewith. Each screen disk 34 is secured to a corresponding plate or disk 32 by means of a plurality of metal screws 46 extending through the apertures 44 and threadedly engaged in the corresponding apertures 40. Further, each of the screen disks 34 is also constructed of aluminum.

An aluminum support rod 48 is provided and its remote ends are externally threaded as at 50 and have a pair of stop nuts 52 threadedly engaged therewith which are also constructed of aluminum. The pairs of plates or disks 32 and 34 are mounted on the opposite ends of the rod 48 outwardly of the stop nuts 52 with the externally end portions 50 of the rod 48 projecting through the corresponding apertures 36 and 42. Thereafter, a pair of fastening nuts 54 are threaded on the externally threaded end portions 50 of the rod 48 and tightened so as to clamp each pair of disks or plates 32 and 34 between each pair of nuts 52 and 54. In order to prevent scarring of the plates 32 a suitable washer 56 is disposed on each externally threaded end 50 of the rod 48 prior to the corresponding nut 54 being threadedly engaged with the rod 48.

As will be noted from FIG. 2 of the drawings, the peripheral edge portions of each pair of plates or disks 32 and 34 are received in the corresponding groove 30.

Also, from FIG. 2 of the drawings it may be seen that the external surfaces of the pipe of body 22 have been coated with any suitable coating such as the asphalt coating 58. I

The area within the pipe or body 22 disposed between the pairs of plates or disks 32 and 34 is filled with a quantity of phosphate glass 60 such as that manufactured by the Calgon Company, of Pittsburgh, Pa., under the name of Micromet. Phosphate glass is slowly soluble in water and inhibits scale, corrosion and red water in the Waterline 12 downstream from the condition 10.

When it is desired to recharge the condition 10, one of the sections 14 and 16 may be removed. Thereafter, the reducer fitting on the upstream end of the conditioner may be removed, after which the adjacent nut 54 and washer 56 may be removed. Then, the corresponding disks or plates 32 and 34 may be removed so as to provide access to the area previously confined between the pairs of disks 32 and 34. Thereafter, a new quantity of Micromet may be placed within the pipe or body 22 after which the disks or plates 32 and 34 previously removed may be reinstalled and secured in position by means of the corresponding nut 54.

By providing the nuts 52 and 54 at each end of the rod 48 and by the disks 32 and 34 being clampingly retained in the grooves 30, a selected nut 54 may be backed off without the rod 48 turning inasmuch as the opposite end of the rod 48 is securely fastened to the corresponding dis-ks 32 and 34 and the peripheral portions of these disks are clampingly received in the corresponding groove 30. Accordingly, the specific mounting of the disks 32 and 34 on the rod 48 enables either disk assembly to be readily removed and replaced as desired.

It is further to be understood that the conditioner 10 may be either horizontally disposed, vertically disposed or inclined at any desired angle without affecting its operation. Also, the size of the conditioner is such that it may be readily disposed between building joists or studs and thereby maintained in an out-of-the-Way position.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An elongated water conditioner comprising an elongated housing including a tubular body and a pair of reversed reducer fittings having their large diameter ends removablysecured to the opposite ends of said body, the small diameter ends of said reducer fittings being adapted to be coupled to adjacent axially spaced ends of a pair of water pipe sections, a pair of transverse filter assemblies disposed in said housing spaced axially along the latter and disposed adjacent the junctures between the opposite ends of said body and the corresponding reducer fittings, said filter assemblies enclosing a predetermined internal volume of said housing therebetween, a quantity of water treating material disposed in said body between said filter assemblies, said larger diameter ends of said reducer fittings including internal peripheral shoulders opposing and contacting with the end faces of said body to define opposite end inwardly opening and peripherally extending grooves in which the outer peripheral portions of said filter assemblies are disposed and clamped, an elongated mounting rod disposed within and extending longitudinally of said housing, said filter assemblies being centrally apertured and receiving the opposite end portions of said rod therethrough, and clamping nuts threadedly secured to said rod on the opposite sides of each filter assembly removably clampingly securing the central portions of said filter assemblies to said rod against longitudinal shifting therealong.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said material comprises a phosphate glass, slowly soluble in water.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said filter assemblies and saidrod are constructed of aluminum.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein each of said filter assemblies includes an apertured panel and a screen panel superimposed thereon.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said screen panels are disposed over the inside surfaces of said apertured panels.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 788,742 5/1905 Weston 2l0449 953,637 3/ 1910 McCollom Y.. 210-350 X 970,982 9/1910 Bond 210-446 3,321,085 5/1967 Moorhead 210-282X T. 'L. De CESARE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 210266, 446, s 

